This book compiles sightlines, fragments, stories, and impressions gathered during my time in the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia) from 2017 to 2019. The Republic of Sakha, also known as the fourteenth “Federal Subject,” is a Russian term used to classify territorial entities based on their level of autonomy. Similar to this imperial terminology, the major Soviet projects in the Sakha Republic aimed at resource control and power maintenance.

My research commenced with an exploration of one of these projects, the Mir diamond mine in the city of Mirny, the Soviet Union’s first diamond mine. Spanning 1.2 kilometers in width and approximately 500 meters in depth, Mir initially served as a groundbreaking experiment, integrating numerous political, economic, and ideological measures on an unprecedented scale. Presently, the Sakha Republic hosts several other mines of comparable magnitude slated for operation over several decades.

The success of the Mir mine spurred even more ambitious endeavors on a monumental scale. Notably, between 1974 and 1987, twelve atomic bomb tests were conducted in the Sakha Republic to enhance the landscape’s economic viability. These detonations aimed to survey the terrain through seismic measurements and influence construction activities or river courses. The repercussions are substantial, yet the full extent remains incomprehensible as the bomb impacts are deeply ingrained in the ecosystem.

“Imperial Objects (2020)” highlights some of these large-scale projects undertaken—often covertly—by the Soviet state. Due to the secrecy surrounding these initiatives, personal accounts, narratives, and recollections often serve as the sole remnants of these occurrences. Reflecting on this history, the (post-)Soviet landscape emerges as a tangible ideological testing ground deeply etched into the earth’s crust over centuries. The state machinery behind these projects, akin to a colossal machine, persistently carves through geological space and time with relentless vigor.